In a major statewide crackdown, Gujarat Police have detained 424 illegal Bangladeshi migrants within a 24-hour window under a coordinated initiative codenamed ‘Operation Delta Hunt', officials announced on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi stated that the operation was meticulously planned and executed across all districts of Gujarat. "In total, investigations are being conducted into the backgrounds of over 6,200 individuals," Sanghavi said, quoted PTI, noting that the number of identified illegal migrants is expected to rise as the inquiry progresses.
The minister revealed that police teams are now widening their investigation to target local individuals and entities who provided shelter or employment to the migrants without undergoing mandatory verification processes.
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According to officials, the breakthrough followed more than 72 hours of continuous, intensive operations. Law enforcement successfully utilised a comprehensive strategy that combined advanced technical surveillance with human intelligence network data.
The majority of the detained individuals were found working in manual labour sectors, with the highest concentrations detected in major industrial hubs, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara and Bharuch. Sanghavi emphasised that even remote regions were thoroughly combed, including Dang district, where five suspicious individuals were apprehended, PTI reported.
To prevent suspects from evading law enforcement, security checks were heavily intensified at railway stations, bus terminals, major highways and district borders. At least 18 individuals were intercepted and detained while attempting to flee the state.
The minister alleged that several migrants had successfully obtained local identity cards, including Aadhaar, by utilising basic paperwork sourced from villages in West Bengal. "By leveraging new technologies and software, we have succeeded in accurately identifying these individuals," Sanghavi stated, as per PTI.
Moving forward, Gujarat authorities plan to launch door-to-door and village-level verification drives to identify and repatriate remaining illegal migrants. Sanghavi further stressed that strengthening border fencing along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal remains vital to curbing illegal infiltration and enhancing long-term national security.
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